When was ultrasound first used in pregnancy

This is likely to mirror varying accessibility to secondary health care, as well as differing views of what it means to be pregnant and how to behave in this situation. Similarly, the issue of medicalization of pregnancy has been debated for years [ 27 ].

To what extent the frequent use of ultrasound scanning found in this study represents a favourable trend, or whether it entails a tendency towards undue medicalisation of pregnancy and misuse of healthcare resources, is open for debate. Our study indicates that the decision to attend prenatal screening in week 11—14 was mainly made within the family, and not directly initiated by a healthcare professional. Interestingly, however, when asked about pre-screening information about potential associated risks, many found this unsatisfactory.

Similar findings have been reported from Sweden [ 5 , 28 ]. This might stem from lacking, suboptimal or biased pre-screening information given by the healthcare workers, but perhaps also from low receptivity to information on potential downsides of screening among the women prior to the decision to participate.

Asking them later, as we did in our study, might thereby elicit some afterthoughts. It would be interesting to study the information process in more detail at the different provider settings and levels. As Williams [ 13 ] has pointed out, a general criticism of prenatal screening is that the women might not realize how much technology has come to influence the culture surrounding pregnancy, nor what a genuinely free choice actually entails. The main reason our responding women gave for declining the early foetal screening test, was their personal values and beliefs.

This is also in accordance with earlier studies on the subject [ 29 , 30 ]. To our knowledge, this is the first study of ultrasound scanning among Icelandic women in the first half of pregnancy, until the recommended routine scan in week It might also be that some women in our study misclassified an early clinical scan as formal screening. This is much lower than in our study. This can probably be explained by the introduction of an offer of prenatal screening between to [ 34 ].

Norway currently has no established programme for early foetal screening. Experts in foetal medicine however report that a high number of pregnant Norwegian women seek out a private clinic and have an early ultrasound scan done there, not unlike the Icelandic situation [ 36 ]. If that scan is suggestive of anything abnormal, the woman is referred to an authorized department for foetal medicine.

The original sample has been considered relatively representative [ 23 , 32 ]. Our convenience sampling method is unlikely to have resulted in serious selection bias, as the study addressed women who attended routine antenatal care, with a focus on their general experiences, thoughts and attitudes as pregnant women in modern society.

A certain response bias could, however, not be avoided, as women who ultimately answered the questionnaires are likely to have been more interested in the research topics than those who were initially positive, but did not return the questionnaire [ 24 ].

Women with higher education might be somewhat overrepresented [ 32 ]. It is a weakness that the number of ultrasound scans are self-reported, but our test of potential recall bias suggests that the overall numbers are quite reliable. Another weakness is the drop out between Phases I before mid-pregnancy and II after delivery. Several factors may have contributed to this.

In , the financial crisis in Iceland led to substantial work-related emigration, and it is likely that some of our original participants had left the country. We do not have precise data on these matters. Ultrasound scans in early pregnancy are in high use in Iceland and have apparently become a profiled part of the pregnancy culture. We found substantial variations regarding uptake of early foetal screening among subgroups. Whether the widespread use of early scanning represents a favourable development or a sign of undue medicalization and overuse of medical resources, can be debated.

Information prior to prenatal screening for foetal anomalies might be improved, particularly regarding potential side effects and risks associated with the screening programme.

International Society for Prenat Diagn In. Accessed Dec Presence of fetal DNA in maternal plasma and serum. Kristjansdottir H, Gottfredsdottir H.

Making sense of the situation: women's reflection of positive fetal screening months after giving birth. Article Google Scholar. Hewison J. Psychological aspects of individualized choice and reproductive autonomy in prenatal screening.

Georgsson Ohman S, Waldenstrom U. Second-trimester routine ultrasound screening: expectations and experiences in a nationwide Swedish sample. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. Getz L, Kirkengen AL. Ultrasound screening in pregnancy: advancing technology, soft markers for fetal chromosomal aberrations, and unacknowledged ethical dilemmas.

Soc Sci Med. Why women want prenatal ultrasound in normal pregnancy. Why do women seek ultrasound scans from commercial providers during pregnancy? Sociol Health Illn. Nordforsk: Legislation on biotehcnology in the Nordic countries - an overview First-trimester screening for Down syndrome using nuchal translucency measurement with free beta-hCG and PAPP-A between 10 and 13 weeks of pregnancy--the combined test.

Prenat Diagn. English: Noninvasive detection of fetal trisomy and inherited sex-linked disease. Prospective validation of first-trimester combined screening for trisomy Women as moral pioneers? Experiences of first trimester antenatal screening. Increasing possibilities - increasing dilemmas: a qualitative study of Swedish midwives' experiences of ultrasound use in pregnancy.

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Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. Gatekeeping and referrals to cardiologists: general practitioners' views on interactive communications. Scand J Prim Health Care. Clinical guidelines. Lesser known is that Ian Donald held his own faith-based opposition to abortion. In particular, the scan images would be shown to these women, while the implications of what was displayed on the image [were] carefully pointed out by the eminent professor using emotive language. While the black-and-white ultrasound image is immediately recognizable to many people, few meet the specialists—experts in anatomy, physics, and pattern recognition—who make these internal portraits.

Tom Fitzgerald, formerly a general practitioner, began using ultrasound in at the Victoria Hospital in Glasgow before applying to train in radiology, a growing specialty at the time. The earlier you find out that they do need some help, the better. Fitzgerald recalls the changes over the course of his career as relating not only to upgrades in technology but to improvements of the patient-radiographer relationship.

Patients initially came in without their partners. Now three-dimensional scanning— which emerged from the work of Kazunori Baba at the University of Tokyo in the mids—offers the ability to visualize the unborn in increasingly lifelike ways, and whole families might turn up for the scan, viewing it as an event.

In the early days the scan did not show movement, with the in-utero picture instead built up from many different still images, and the substrate between the transducer wand and the baby bump was olive oil, a messy medium since replaced by a clear, water-based gel. These were quickly superseded by multi-element linear array and phased array scanners in the s. A more mature technology in this sector allowed a significant reduction in costs and ultrasound tests became available in smaller hospitals and clinics.

This development rendered large static scanners obsolete. Sam Maslak developed the Acuson in , which was the first with computed sonography technology for significant improvements in contrast and spatial resolution.

It became easier for medical professionals to assess the condition of foetus due to the increased clarity. Early studies in 3D imaging in ultrasonography were first begun in by Kazunon Baba in Japan. To learn more tips for choosing a private GP, contact Northway Clinic today and speak to a healthcare professional who can answer any questions you might have.

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